Everton handed fine after end-of-season pitch invasion antics at Goodison Park
The English FA have fined Everton £300,000 for their end-of-season pitch invasion antics, where fans ran onto the pitch to celebrate the club’s Premier League survival.
Goodison Park wasn’t the only stadium to see pitch invasions last season, with the Championship Play-Off semi-final between Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United being marred by onfield escapades.
The fee seems a tad ridiculous considering some of the antics that occur in football around the world, it’s hardly surprising from FA, however.
The FA Spokesperson announced the fine on their Twitter page, highlighting the breach of rules by fans of the club in the fixture on Thursday 19 May 2022 against Crystal Palace.
“Everton FC admitted failing to ensure that its spectators – and all persons purporting to be its supporters or followers – conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from using threatening and violent behaviour whilst encroaching onto the pitch area.”
Silly.
In a growing trend of huge fines, it seems the Blues have fallen wayward of the FA making examples out of clubs who invaded pitches last season.
This won’t hurt Everton in the grand scheme of things, but it’s unneeded and annoying that fans expressing their emotions are being punished.
Last season was demoralising and horrific for every supporter of the club and unfortunately, those emotions boiled over against Crystal Palace.
This is a classic case of the FA making an example out of a team, it’s happened before and it will likely happen again.
And whilst the growing trend of pitch invasions was getting slightly over the top, a huge fine to the club only damages the team as a whole moving forward.
Everton have yet to make an official announcement regarding the fine, but that will likely come in the next few hours, this one will be brushed under the carpet quickly.